It’s been a long week right? It feels like that this time of year, when was the last time you went “Ah damn where did last week go”, nah, it gets to Friday and you are ready for some downtime. That’s where Gin comes in. Its such a versatile spirit and I wanted to play around with some ideas for the perfect gin concoction with your mates before you hit the town this weekend.

There is such an incredible variety of gins available at different price points, it’s so accessible now, you can head to Aldi or Lidl and pick up their award-winning gin for under a tenner, so with that in mind, why not experiment with some epic flavour combinations. There is nothing nicer than getting your mates round on the weekend, blasting some tunes offensively loud and cracking into a cold beer but why not mix it up, be classy AF and try one of these drinks to ease you into your awesome weekend night out!

Let’s get stuck in.

1.) Dark & Spooky

What You Need:

– 50ml Gin
– Pomegranate juice
– Thyme

Method:

This one is easy, but the colour gives it a spooky kind of autumnal feel. Take a tumbler and full to the brim with ice. Then add in a measure of Gin. Top of with pomegranate juice and garnish with a sprig of thyme. The flavour is really fresh, the pomegranate juice compliments the gin perfectly.

2.) Winter Gin Sour

What You Need:

– 50ml Gin
– 25ml Fresh Lemon Juice
– 12.5ml (ish) Sugar Syrup (I made my own 1:1 sugar to water simple syrup)
– Handful of Blueberries
– Aquafaba (you don’t have to use egg white in your sour, chickpea water works just as well and a Tbls won’t interfere with the flavour), of course, if you want to use egg white, do you!

Method:

Combine blueberries, lemon juice and syrup in a cocktail shaker, really go for it as well to break up the blueberries a little. Add gin and “egg white”/Aquafaba, then dry shake (without any ice). Add ice and shake again! Serve in a cold glass of your choice… enjoy!

3.) The Ultimate G & T- Original

What You Need:

– Gin
– Tonic
– Ice
– Lemon or cucumber

Method:

Take a tall glass and pack it full of ice. Take a measure of your favourite gin.
Garnish wise, this depends on the gin and your preference, I recommend a slice of lemon for a gin like Gordons or a slice of cucumber of a gin-like Hendricks.
Then top this off with a tonic on choice. If you want to elevate the drink, take a lighter to a slice of lemon peel and for just a second, burn the skin, this releases the oils of the lemon.

4.) The Ultimate G & T With Orange & Clove Syrup

What You Need:

– Gloves
– Orange juice and the peel
– water
– sugar
– Gin (a shot per per)
– Tonic to top off.

Method

Prep the recipe as you did above but then we add in a little extra.
A syrup recipe that’s easy to make has some complex robust flavours and a nice kinda autumnal like colour to it. Take a couple of cloves per cup of water, add both into a pan, peel the orange and add in the peel and juice to the mixture. Add in a tablespoon of sugar per cup of water. Reduce, strain and cool. Serve with your G & T along with a fresh slice of orange peel.

I hope you enjoy sampling the recipes, being experimental and trying new recipes for yourself. Let me know how you get on in the comments section below. Maybe even send me a pic of you are your pals enjoying this pre-drinks and I will share them on the socials.

This article was written with my friends at ILoveGin.com, discover all the amazing gins they have and sign up to try different gin samples every month! Perfect for the colder months. Plus they have some more super delicious Gin recipes and plenty of imaginative ways to enjoy.